The blender is key to these salad dressing recipes, because it cuts down on prep time. Why finely mince ginger or garlic when you can just cut into chunks, then†let the blender do the rest?

You don’t need a high speed blender to make these salad dressings. If you do have one, by all means, use it! It will make things come together a lot faster. I’ve†tested these dressings in both my†Vitamix and my very old, very dilapidated Magic Bullet with good results. The main difference is that a high speed blender needs less time and less liquid to get things nice and†smooth.†A regular blender, even a very old one, just takes a bit more time to get these to the consistency you want.

1. Blender†Peanut Butter Sauce

This is an easy take on my favorite Thai salad dressing. Drizzle it over greens, carrots and cucumber for a simple starter salad. It also works well in a raw kale salad or on top of a grain bowl.

Yield: about 2/3 cups

Ingredients

2 inch piece of fresh†ginger, coarsely chopped

2 cloves of†garlic

1/2 cup†creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon†soy sauce

juice of 1/2 a†fresh lemon

1-2 teaspoons†Sriracha sauce, to taste

2-6 tablespoons of†water (Depends on how thick your peanut butter is and on your blender.)

Method

Put the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice and Sriracha into your blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding water by the tablespoon as needed to get things moving. You can keep adding water, if you prefer a thinner dressing.

2. Tahini Miso†Dressing

Like the peanut dressing, this one is on the thicker side, and it’s great on basically any salad. I like it†poured over†a dinner salad with baked tofu or on top of oven-roasted vegetables.

Yield:†about 1 1/4†cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup†tahini

1/4 cup†miso paste (Whatever type you like!)

1/4 cup†seasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon†ground ginger

6 tablespoons†water

Method

In your blender or food processor, puree†everything together until you have a smooth, uniform mixture. The finished dressing will be pretty thick, but if you want it a bit thinner, add 2 more tablespoons of water.

The dressing will keep for about a week in the fridge. Store any leftovers in a container with a secure lid, like†a pint sized mason jar. Give it a shake before serving.

3. Magical Tahini Dressing

This is a thinner dressing that gets a nice creaminess from tahini. It’s lovely over mixed greens with any veggies you like. I also use it as a sauce for homemade†falafel.

Yield: about 3/4 of a cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup†tahini

juice of 1/2 a fresh†lemon

2 tablespoons†apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons†water

1 tablespoon lite†soy sauce

1/2″ piece†fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon†garlic powder

1-2 teaspoons†hot sauce of your choice

Method

Combine all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor, and you’re good to go.

4. Cashew Ranch Dressing

All of the ranch goodness with none of the dairy, sugar or chemical thickeners! Use this anywhere that you’d use bottled ranch dressing.

Yield: a scant pint

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews + water to soak

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk, or more as needed (Usually, I use regular and unsweet vegan milks interchangeably, but in this recipe, unsweetened is important!)

2 tablespoons fresh garlic chives, minced (regular chives will do in a pinch)

1 teaspoon dried dill

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

dash of paprika

salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Soak the cashews with enough water to cover them completely for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. This step is the key to a creamy dressing, so do not skip it!

Drain the cashews and pour them into the blender along with the oil, lemon juice, vegan milk, chives, dill, parsley, onion powder and paprika. Blend until completely smooth. Add more vegan milk, 1 tablespoon, at a time, if it’s seeming too thick.

Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving.

5. Red Plum Basil Vinaigrette

Instead of refined sugars, this vibrant pink salad dressing from my cookbook gets its sweetness from whole plums skins and all, and an optional touch of maple syrup. Use it anywhere you’d use a bottled vinaigrette.

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

2 red plums, pitted

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh basil 1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional

salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Place all of the ingredients into your blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

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